Fellowships

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FIT provides fellowships of up to £8,000 for UK-focused research that promotes and delivers transport as a basic right and tackles climate change and emissions from transport.

 

FIT’s vision is a world where:

  • People have a right to a decent life without having to own or drive a car
  • People can travel with minimum impact on other people’s lives and the environment
  • Trains and buses are integrated and safe and attractive routes are provided for walking and cycling
  • Barriers to transport justice are removed, by means which include volunteering and social enterprise

FIT’s themes are:

  • Transport as a basic human right
  • Climate change

In 2023/24, FIT’s funding focus continues to be traffic reduction, with a particular emphasis on road-user charging. We also welcome applications on the theme of ‘reimagining and rebranding the bus’.

Trustees are looking for bold, provocative and entertaining campaigns that change minds and challenge the status quo.

Fellowship

We prioritise

  • Research into charging car users for the external costs they impose on society and the environment, for instance road pricing, levies on car parking, and raising revenue for local authorities
  • Research into high-quality, low-carbon, cheap or free public transport
  • Research that achieves significant reductions in car use and increases the use of public transport, walking and cycling
  • Transformational research that achieves and inspires large-scale change on the ground, as opposed to reports and policy reviews
  • Research which is led by energetic, practical people who may have demonstrated effective achievements in related fields
  • Grassroots citizen groups arguing for radical change
  • A new generation of transport and climate change researchers
  • Research that changes minds, for example about using cars

Research outputs

All successful fellowship applicants will be expected to produce the following as a minimum:

  • A final research report of a maximum of 50 pages, for publication on the FIT website and wider dissemination. The research report and recommendations should clearly link to FIT’s vision, themes and funding focus, as stated above
  • A two to four page standalone executive summary of the research report
  • Six-monthly progress reports to FIT.

Any other outputs and deliverables specific to your particular fellowship will be detailed in the award letter.

Application process

Please complete and submit the application form below; this will then be reviewed by our Grants Manager. Some proposals may be turned down if they do not meet our criteria, or more detail may be requested.

Suitable proposals will then be forwarded to trustees, with final decisions made at quarterly Board meetings.

Deadlines by which to receive applications are as follows:

  • 25th August 2023 (for decision at the September Board meeting)
  • 20th November 2023 (for decision at the December Board meeting)
  • 23rd February 2024 (for decision at the March Board meeting)
  • 24th May 2024 (for decision at the June Board meeting)
  • 23rd August 2024 (for decision at the September Board meeting)
  • 15th November 2024 (for decision at the December Board meeting)

But we advise submitting proposals in advance of these deadlines to give trustees enough time for full consideration.

Please feel free to contact us for further information, guidance, or a conversation with a trustee before making an application.